Three weeks before Christmas 2011, Donald St. Laurent and Christopher Bazar were drinking beers in a Hudson apartment. At one point, they pulled out a loaded rifle. A shot was fired, killing St. Laurent.

"It hit him right here and tore through out the back," Bazar told News 9 in 2012. "It might have taken a chunk off the top of his head, but I'm not completely certain."

Bazar took full responsibility for the shooting, starting with his 911 call and lasting through his court appearances. On Tuesday afternoon, he was back in court to ask for a sentence reduction.

"It's been 34 months to the day," Bazar said. "I've been preparing for this day, and I'm still not ready."

The pain is still raw for everyone involved.

"I remember sitting on the couch, and I couldn't believe it," said Donald St. Laurent, the victim's father. "I sat there for an hour and half, and I said, 'This can't be true.'"

The victim's parents have given Bazar complete absolution.

"My son, Don, would want Chris released, and so do I," said Deb St. Laurent, the victim's mother. "He loved him. He was like a son and brother to my son, and it was an accident."

The prosecutor spoke in favor of the reduced sentence, and Judge Jacalyn Coburn called Bazar's case extraordinary as she granted Bazar's request.

"So I'm going to grant your request," she said. "I'm optimistic that you are one of the rare people who find themselves in this situation."